Tool-hanging rope

ABSTRACT

A tool-hanging rope includes an extendable and retractable connecting band unit and two retaining ring units. The connecting band unit includes a pleated cloth band and a plurality of main resilient strings extending within the pleated cloth band along the length of the connecting band unit and connected to the pleated cloth band by knitting. The retaining ring units are fastened respectively to two opposite ends of the connecting band unit. One of the retaining ring units includes a retaining ring that is openable to allow a tool to be sleeved thereon and that is closable to prevent the tool to be removed therefrom.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 099218587, filed on Sep. 27, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a rope, and more particularly to a tool-hanging rope.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional tool-hanging rope disclosed in Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. M375720 includes a resilient string unit 11, a protective sleeve 12 sleeved on the resilient string unit 11, a first retaining ring 13 for hanging a tool (not shown), such as a spanner, and a second retaining ring 14 for connection with a waist belt (not shown). The first and second retaining rings 13, 14 are fastened to the resilient string unit 11 and the protective sleeve 12, and are disposed respectively on two opposite ends of the resilient string unit 11. The resilient string unit 11 includes a plurality of resilient strings 111 that abut against each other. Since the resilient strings 111 are extendable and retractable, the user can operate the tool without removing the tool from the first retaining ring 13, so as to avoid danger caused due to dropping of the tool. Although the resilient strings 111 are confined within the protective sleeve 12, since the protective sleeve 12 is disposed merely for dustproof, some of the resilient strings 111 may be broken when subjected to non-uniform stress. As a result, the aforesaid conventional tool-hanging rope cannot support a heavy tool effectively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a tool-hanging rope that includes a plurality of resilient strings, which can be prevented from breaking when a heavy tool is hung thereon.

According to this invention, a tool-hanging rope includes an extendable and retractable connecting band unit and two retaining ring units. The connecting band unit includes a pleated cloth band and a plurality of main resilient strings extending within the pleated cloth band along the length of the connecting band unit and connected to the pleated cloth band by knitting. The retaining ring units are fastened respectively to two opposite ends of the connecting band unit. One of the retaining ring units includes a retaining ring that is openable to allow a tool to be sleeved thereon and that is closable to prevent the tool to be removed therefrom.

Since the resilient strings are connected to the pleated cloth band by knitting, the structural strength of the connecting band unit is increased, thereby preventing breakage of the resilient strings caused due to application of non-uniform stress thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional tool-hanging rope disclosed in Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. M375720;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the conventional tool-hanging rope, illustrating a resilient string unit and a second retaining ring;

FIG. 3 is a partly exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a tool-hanging rope according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a first-length state of a connecting band unit;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating a second-length state of the connecting band unit;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along Line 6-6 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view illustrating that the preferred embodiment is in a used state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, the preferred embodiment of a tool-hanging rope according to this invention is disposed for hanging a tool 7 on a waist belt 8 of a user. The tool-hanging rope includes an extendable and retractable connecting band unit 2, two retaining ring units 3 fastened respectively to two opposite ends of the connecting band unit 2 and each including a retaining ring 31, two side resilient strings 4 retained on and extending respectively along two opposite sides of the connecting band unit 2, a loop-shaped cord 5 sleeved on the retaining ring 31 of one of the retaining ring units 3, and an article-hanging ring 6 sleeved on the loop-shaped cord 5.

With further reference to FIG. 6, the connecting band unit 2 includes a pleated cloth band 21 and a plurality of main resilient strings 22 disposed within the pleated cloth band 21. The main resilient strings 22 extend along length of the connecting band unit 2, and are spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length of the connecting band unit 2. The pleated cloth band 21 has a plurality of equidistant first lengthwise areas 211 disposed at a side of an assembly of the main resilient strings 22, a plurality of equidistant second lengthwise areas 212 disposed at an opposite side of the assembly of the main resilient strings 22 and arranged alternately with the first lengthwise areas 212, and a plurality of connecting areas 213 for interconnecting the first and second lengthwise areas 211, 213. The first lengthwise areas 211 are spaced apart from each other along the length of the connecting band unit 2, and extend along the length of the connecting band unit 2. The second lengthwise areas 212 are spaced apart from each other along the length of the connecting band unit 2, and extend along the length of the connecting band unit 2. Each of the first lengthwise areas 211 is connected to an adjacent one of the second lengthwise areas 212 by a corresponding one of the connecting areas 213. The main resilient strings 22 extend through the connecting areas 213, and are connected to the connecting areas 213 by knitting, so as to constitute the connecting band unit 2.

The side resilient strings 4 extend along the length of the connecting band unit 2, and cooperate with the main resilient strings 22 to allow the connecting band unit 2 to change between a first-length state shown in FIG. 4, where the connecting band unit 2 has a first length, and a second-length state shown in FIG. 5, where the connecting band unit 2 has a second length longer than the first length. In this embodiment, the side resilient strings 4 are made of the same material as the main resilient strings 22, and are retained respectively on the two opposite sides of the connecting band unit 2 by two threads 41 (see FIG. 6), respectively. Each of the threads 41 extends into the cloth band 21 and around the corresponding side resilient string 4 along a helical path.

The retaining ring 31 of each of the retaining ring units 3 is openable to allow the tool 7 or the waist belt 8 to be sleeved thereon, and is closable to prevent removal of the same therefrom. Each of the retaining ring units 3 further includes a connecting member 32 that has an inner end 321 connected to the corresponding end of the connecting band unit 2, and an outer end 322 connected to the retaining ring 31. In this embodiment, each of the connecting members 32 is configured as a woven band. The outer ends 322 of the connecting members 32 are sleeved on the retaining rings 31, respectively. The inner ends 321 of the connecting members 32 are sewn to the connecting band unit 2. In this embodiment, the loop-shaped cord 5 is configured as a metal cable.

With particular to FIGS. 4, 5, and 7, when no external force is applied to the tool-hanging rope, the connecting band unit 2 is in the first-length state (i.e., retracted state).

During use, one of the retaining rings 31 is extended through a hanging hole 71 in the tool 7. To avoid dropping of the tool 7, the other of the retaining rings 31 is retained on the waist belt 8. At this time, due to the weight of the tool 7 or a force applied to the tool 7 by the user, the main and side resilient strings 22, 4 are pulled to convert the connecting band unit 2 from the first-length state to an extended state, so that the distance between any two adjacent first lengthwise areas 211 is increased, and the distance between any two adjacent second lengthwise areas 212 is increased. Hence, the user can operate the tool 7 without removing the tool 7 from the corresponding retaining ring 31. The loop-shaped cord 5 can be used to fasten an adhesive tape roll 51 or the like to the corresponding retaining ring 31. The article-hanging ring 6 can be used to hang a tool accessory (not shown), such as a key.

As such, since the main resilient strings 22 are connected to the cloth band 21 by knitting, during extension and retraction of the connecting band unit 2, the main resilient strings 22 have a uniform stress distribution, so that breakage of the main resilient strings 22 resulting from non-uniform stress can be prevented to provide a durable structure. Furthermore, the pleated cloth band 21 cooperates with the main resilient strings 22 to pull the tool 7 to limit a maximum extension amount of the main resilient strings 22 and the side resilient strings 4, thereby promoting safety during use of the tool-hanging rope and avoiding early elastic fatigue experienced by the main resilient strings 22 due to excessive load.

With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention be limited only as indicated by the appended claims. 

1. A tool-hanging rope comprising: an extendable and retractable connecting band unit including a pleated cloth band and a plurality of main resilient strings extending within said pleated cloth band along the length of said connecting band unit and connected to said pleated cloth band by knitting; and two retaining ring units fastened respectively to two opposite ends of said connecting band unit, one of said retaining ring units including a retaining ring that is adapted to be openable to allow a tool to be sleeved thereon and that is adapted to be closable to prevent the tool to be removed therefrom.
 2. The tool-hanging rope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pleated cloth band has: a plurality of first lengthwise areas disposed at a side of an assembly of said main resilient strings and spaced apart from each other along the length of said connecting band unit; a plurality of second lengthwise areas disposed at an opposite side of the assembly of said main resilient strings and spaced apart from each other along the length of said connecting band unit; and a plurality of connecting areas for interconnecting said first and second lengthwise areas, such that each of said first lengthwise areas is connected to an adjacent one of said second lengthwise areas by a corresponding one of connecting areas.
 3. The tool-hanging rope as claimed in claim 2, further comprising two side resilient strings retained on and extending respectively along two opposite sides of said connecting band unit.
 4. The tool-hanging rope as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said retaining ring units further includes a connecting member that that is configured as a woven band and that has an inner end sewn to a corresponding of two ends of said connecting band unit, and an outer end connected to said retaining ring.
 5. The tool-hanging rope as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a loop-shaped cord sleeved on one of said retaining rings of said retaining ring units.
 6. The tool-hanging rope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main resilient strings are spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length of said connecting band unit. 